With Poor Defense and Bad Second Half, Nets Clobbered By Knicks

NEW YORK — A 25-game sample with an entirely new roster is not enough to say whether or not the Nets' season is heading towards the abyss, but this latest 10-game stretch isn't likely to inspire anyone.

On Wednesday night, Carmelo Anthony had a triumphant return, Tyson Chandler put on a one-man dunk fest, the Nets interior defense was largely nonexistent and in front of a pro-Knicks crowd at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks downed the Nets, 100-86 and took a 2-1 lead in the season series.

The Knicks, who closed the game outscoring the Nets 43-27 over the final 17:06, have now won 10 of 12 and five of their last six. The Nets, on the other hand, have now dropped eight of their last 10 after an 11-4 start.

Anthony—back after missing the last two games with a sprained right ankle—led four Knicks in double figures with a game-high 31 points while Chandler scored 16 and shot 7-for-11 from the field.

Of Chandler's seven makes, six of them were dunks and of those six, five came by way of alley-oops off of pick-and-rolls.

For the Nets, Joe Johnson scored 17, while Brook Lopez and Deron Williams each finished with 16. Williams scored 11 of his 16 in the third quarter.

"I think they're going to remain confident," Nets head coach Avery Johnson said. "We are going into a three-day break, it's coming at a much needed time. We need to get some practice time in and we'll get back on the practice court Friday and Saturday, get some work done and figure out where some of our issues are."

Another poor second half

The second half continues to be a horror show during this 2-8 month for the Nets. On Wednesday after halftime, the Nets scored just 38 points, shot just 44.2 percent (19-for-43) and allowed the Knicks to shoot 47.6 percent, including 57 percent from 3-point range.

Wednesday's second half comes on the heels of a 92-90 home loss to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday which saw the Nets score just 33 points in the second half. In that game, the Nets blew a 13-point halftime lead.

"We didn't do a good job tonight on the shooters," Williams said. "We didn't do a good job of keeping them off the 3-point line. We were helping a lot at the basket and were leaving them wide open."

Lobs on lobs on lobs

Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler have been one of the NBA's top pick-and-roll combinations this season, but that got taken to another level against a porous Nets' interior defense.

In the third quarter alone, Chandler had four dunks. Of those four, two came from pick-and-roll situations with Felton, with another coming off a pick-and-roll with Pablo Prigioni.

"It's momentum builders for us, confidence builders," Anthony said of all the alley-oops. "When he gets alley-oops, it opens a lot of things up out there on the basketball court. Raymond's being aggressive with the ball and most of the time it works."

D-Will's struggles

A lot has been made in recent days about Williams' struggles in Avery Johnson's offense and what it's going to take to get over the hump and get it together.

A 16-point, 10-assist effort on Wednesday was quietly his ninth double-double of the season, but it was a bit of a struggle early to get there.

In the first half, Williams shot just 1-for-3 and scoring two points. He did, however, dish out seven assists.

In the third quarter, the three-time All-Star began to pick it up. In that period alone, he shot 5-for-7 and scored nine of 11 points inside the first 5:06 to give the Nets their biggest lead at 61-57 with 6:54 to go in the third.

That time frame would be Williams' brightest spot as the Knicks ripped off an 18-6 to close the third quarter and take control for good.

Stackhouse could go Sunday

Avery Johnson said during his pregame media availability that Jerry Stackhouse, who has been inactive the last five games with a sore right knee, may play on Sunday when the Nets host the Philadelphia 76ers.

Johnson indicated that it's wait-and-see on Stackhouse with the team set to practice on Friday and Saturday, but Saturday appears to be the key day to determine whether or not Stackhouse can go.

Stackhouse injured the knee on Jason Kidd's game-winning 3-pointer on Dec. 11 when the Knicks beat the Nets, 100-97 in Brooklyn. Before the injury, Stackhouse had unexpectedly emerged as a key figure off the bench, averaging 6.8 points in 18 minutes per game while shooting a gaudy 43 percent from 3-point range.

Free throws

With his 31 points on Wednesday, Anthony is averaging 37.3 points per game in three contests against the Nets this season....The Nets' starting lineup of Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and Lopez, which was the projected starting lineup in the preseason, is now 6-3 on the season....The Nets are now 1-7 when allowing the opposition to score 100 points or more. When the Nets hold an opponent to less than 100 points, they are 12-5....The 11 points Keith Bogans scored were a season-high, as were his minutes (21), 3-pointers made (3) and 3-pointers attempted (5).

Final word

"It's very frustrating because it's like a tale of two halves. We play pretty good in the first half and then in the third and fourth quarters, for whatever reason, we're just not bringing it or running our sets. Defensively, we're not sticking to our principles and it's hurting us." — Joe Johnson

NEW YORK (AP) Jusuf Nurkic had 27 points and 12 rebounds, new backup Enes Kanter added 18 points and nine boards in his Portland debut, and the Trail Blazers beat the Brooklyn Nets 113-99 on Thursday night.

The center tandem was so good that the Trail Blazers didn't even need a big night from All-Star guard Damian Lillard, who was just 5 for 21 from the field. He finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.

Kanter, who signed last week with the Blazers after losing his job with the Knicks, made his first seven shots and finished 8 for 9, missing only a 3-pointer.

Nets return from All-Star break to host Trail Blazers at 7:30 p.m.

Brooklyn holds the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference as it resumes play

Feb 21 | 6:30PM

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Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell hits a 3-point shot during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. (Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports)

A little over three years ago, Sean Marks was officially introduced as the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, and three months later Kenny Atkinson was named as the coach of the rebuilding project.

Two painful seasons followed, but in Year 3, the Nets are in the playoff picture in a crowded Eastern Conference race.

Brooklyn resumes its playoff push Thursday night when it hosts the Portland Trail Blazers, who are starting a season-high seven-game road trip.

At 30-29, the Nets headed into the All-Star break with a winning record for the first time since the 2012-13 season. When they last reached the playoffs in 2014-15, the Nets held a 21-31 record at the break and finished at 38-44. >> Read More

Nets' D'Angelo Russell stars for Team Giannis in NBA All-Star Game

Russell scores six points off the bench

Feb 17 | 10:54PM

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Team Giannis guard D'Angelo Russell of the Brooklyn Nets handles the ball against Team Lebron forward Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019 NBA All-Star Game at Spectrum Center. (Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports)

Nets guard D'Angelo Russell scored six points for Team Giannis in a 178-164 loss to Team LeBron in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at Spectrum Center.

Russell, who took the spot of the injured Victor Oladipo, also recorded three assists and one rebound in 12 minutes.

For one night only, Nets teammates Jarrett Allen and Rodions Kurucs were on opposite sides.

Allen represented Team USA in its 161-144 victory Friday night over Team World in the NBA Rising Stars game as part of the league's All-Star weekend, while Kurucs, a native of Latvia, scored 10 points the World squad.

The Nets were in a nip-and-tuck affair with the lowly Cavaliers all night Wednesday, but after three overtimes Brooklyn was finally able to come away with a 148-139 victory in Cleveland. The 148 points the Nets scored are tied for the second-most they've ever scored in a game, and are the most they've ever scored in a road game. >> Box score

Things to know about Wednesday's game

1) When the Nets took a 135-131 lead with 3:08 remaining in the third overtime, that marked their largest lead of the game. D'Angelo Russell hit a 3-pointer to give them that lead before extending it to eight with two consecutive buckets. Russell, who will head to Charlotte for this weekend's All-Star Game, took over at the end of the game as he scored 14 of his 36 points in the third overtime, going 6-for-6 from the field in the final period after struggling earlier in the game.

Russell was 5-for-18 with 12 points in 29 regulation minutes. He then went 8-for-12 with 24 points in 12 overtime minutes to ensure Brooklyn (30-29) took a winning record into the break.

The Nets put up a fight against the Raptors but ultimately fell short Monday in a 127-125 loss in Toronto after the game was tied 92-92 through three quarters. The Nets (29-29) have lost five of their last six games. >> Box score

Things to know about Monday's game

1) Kawhi Leonard hit a game-winning bank shot for Toronto with 4.2 seconds left roughly 30 seconds after Danny Green hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 125-125. Leonard finished with 30 points and eight assists.

With 10:39 to go in the second quarter Friday, Caris LeVert entered the game for his first NBA action in nearly three months. Barclays Center rose to its feet, with a couple of his Nets teammates cheering along. What followed was a couple of stints that reminded Nets fans what they missed in LeVert, largely considered their best prospect earlier this season.

But beyond this limited stretch in his first game back, LeVert's return means much more, a huge addition to a Brooklyn team that's fighting for its first postseason berth in a few years.

"I thought he looked good; he looked athletic," Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said following Brooklyn's 125-106 loss to the Bulls. "He was active pushing the ball, getting downhill like he does, making passes."

Nets Takeaways from Friday's 125-106 loss to Bulls

Caris LeVert posts 11 points in return to the court

By Deesha Thosar | Feb 8 | 10:01PM

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(Wendell Cruz)

The lowly Chicago Bulls have won just 13 games this season and their latest victory came against the Brooklyn Nets in an astounding 125-106 upset at Barclays Center on Friday night. Brooklyn's rough loss came after the Nets defeated the Nuggets on Wednesday to snap a three-game losing streak. >> Box score

Things to know about Friday's game

1) The Nets completely fell apart at the start of the fourth quarter, when comeback victories have normally been the team's Achilles heel this season. Brooklyn was down 18 points with sloppy plays and shoddy passing diminishing chances of a comeback with 8:09 left in the fourth quarter. A quiet Kenny Atkinson watched on the sidelines as the Bulls, the third-worst team in the Eastern Conference, pulled ahead.

LeVert, who has not played since suffering a dislocated foot on Nov. 12, avoided surgery and suffered only minor ligament damage, and Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said the team would ease him back into the lineup.

"My feeling is let's just build him up from a physical standpoint," Atkinson said, according to the Associated Press. "From a basketball technical standpoint, I think it's going to take some time quite honestly until he catches his rhythm. I can't tell you how long that's going to be. The most important thing is he's right physically, and we'll build up the basketball part."

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Nets' D'Angelo Russell drafted to Team Giannis for NBA All-Star Game

Russell set to participate in his first All-Star Game

Feb 7 | 7:40PM

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Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell picks up a pass in the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center. (Catalina Fragoso/USA TODAY Sports)

D'Angelo Russell now knows who his teammates will be at the NBA All-Star Game next weekend.

The Nets guard was selected Thursday night by Giannis Antetokounmpo during the All-Star draft. Russell will be making his first All-Star appearance, having replaced injured Pacers star Victor Oladipo.

After the starters were drafted, Team Giannis took Russell in the fifth round of the reserves portion of the draft. Russell was taken before LaMarcus AldridgeNikola Vucevic, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyle Lowry, and Bradley Beal.

The Nets made one move prior to Thursday afternoon's NBA trade deadline, acquiring Greg Monroe and a 2021 second-round pick from the Raptors, according to multiple reports.

But Monroe apparently won't be a Net for long. According to The Athletic, Monroe will waived by Brooklyn, which will reportedly send Toronto cash considerations. Monroe signed a one-year deal with the Raptors last summer worth more than $2.1 million.

Nets NBA trade deadline primer: 3 ways Brooklyn can improve

Brooklyn's success has transformed the team from a seller to a possible buyer

By Rafael Canton | Feb 7 | 9:15AM

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The Brooklyn Nets have been a pleasant surprise in the NBA this season. Seen as a team looking on the outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the Nets find themselves in sixth place in the East (29-27), just a few hours before the NBA's trade deadline.

The Nets' success has transformed them from a seller at the trade deadline to a possible buyer. Entering Monday's meeting, Brooklyn has gone 20-8 in its last 28 games and is fresh off of a successful January that saw the team post an 11-4 record and the fourth-best defensive rating (106.9 points allowed per 100 possessions) in the NBA.

The franchise has several paths it can pivot to as the deadline approaches...

After losing three straight games, their longest losing streak in two months, the Nets bounced back Wednesday with a 135-130 win over the Nuggets, who currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Nets won their 29th game, surpassing last season's win total 56 games into the season. >> Box score

Things to know about Wednesday's game

1) As has often been the case this season, D'Angelo Russell led the way for Brooklyn by putting up 27 points, 11 assists and six rebounds. He shot 10-for-23 from the field including 6-for-9 from 3-point range. The All-Star guard's double-double was his sixth of the season, which is a career-high. This marked the second time in his career Russell had at least 25 points and 10 assists; he did it on Jan. 23 against the Magic.

Nets try to get back to winning ways, host Nuggets at 7:30 p.m.

Brooklyn on three-game losing streak for first time in two months

Feb 6 | 6:30PM

Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts during the first half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)

The Brooklyn Nets struggled to contain Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and for the first time in two months, they are on a three-game losing streak.

Brooklyn's next task is to contain Nikola Jokic on Wednesday night when they host the Denver Nuggets in a matchup of banged-up teams.

The Nets (28-27) are on their first three-game losing streak since dropping eight straight from Nov. 21-Dec 5. They went 20-6 in 26 games before the skid began with a 117-114 loss at San Antonio on Thursday.

Nets hopeful LeVert can return before All-Star break

Feb 4 | 6:09PM

The Nets are hopeful Caris LeVert can return before the All-Star break after he suffered a dislocated foot in November, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and the 24-year-old guard is making significant progress.

LeVert, who has not played since suffering a gruesome injury on Nov. 12, will soon return to 5-on-5 practice and will practice with Brooklyn's G League affiliate in Long Island on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.

"This is good timing ... it doesn't have to be 40 minutes, (but) it's going to be a big boost for us," Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said, according to the New York Post's Brian Lewis.

Orlando center Nikola Vucevic learned he was going to be a first-time All-Star on Thursday, then celebrated with his third straight double-double in a Magic victory.

His numbers were rather routine for him -- 17 points, 10 rebounds -- but the 107-100 home victory over the Indiana Pacers was something of a rarity for Orlando, which snapped a four-game losing streak.

Vucevic and the Magic (21-31) will wrap up a three-game homestand Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets.

D'Angelo Russell is the engine behind the Nets' resurgence to playoff contention, and after initially missing out, his efforts are now being recognized with a trip to play with the league's best players.

The NBA on Friday announced that the Brooklyn guard was selected by commissioner Adam Silver as a reserve for the All-Star Game, the first time the 22-year-old has been selected as an All-Star. Russell is replacing Indiana's Victor Oladipo, who suffered a season-ending knee injury.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) Derrick White scored a career-high 26 points and the San Antonio Spurs rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Brooklyn 117-114 on Thursday night, their 16th straight win at home over the Nets.

Fresh off his seventh All-Star selection, LaMarcus Aldridge had 20 points, including a critical three-point play in the final minute, and 13 rebounds for the Spurs. DeMar DeRozan added 15 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a three-game absence because of a sore left knee.

After failing to make the All-Star Game as a reserve, D'Angelo Russell pressed his case to replace injured selection Victor Oladipo. Russell had 25 points, nine assists and four turnovers in 33 minutes for Brooklyn.

The Spurs have received just the opposite, especially in the minutes following their 126-124 win over hapless Phoenix on Tuesday. Popovich fumed about his team's play and said it was "fortunate to win the game."

Kenny Atkinson has created a star in D'Angelo Russell and a playoff team in Brooklyn

Russell's willingness to learn reflects Atkinson's proper guidance

By Anthony Puccio | Jan 30 | 12:43PM

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When D'Angelo Russell was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, head coach Kenny Atkinson had the biggest development task of his career. Not because Russell wasn't skilled, rather the fact that he was the lottery pick the Nets never had. This was his chance to develop somebody with serious potential. Somebody who fit the script of what Atkinson needed. Somebody who has high character but also has a chip on their shoulder.

Somebody who could challenge Atkinson to be as great as he challenges those around him.

And for Russell, he got a coach who could challenge him to become great and push his limits -- the intangible things you don't see that separate a good player and a great player. Things that categorize players as one who can buy into something special versus becoming a glorified journeyman.

Second-year center Jarrett Allen and rookie forward Rodions Kurucs were both named to the NBA's Rising Stars Challenge on Tuesday.

Allen, 20, will play for the U.S. team while Kurucs, who turns 21 next week and is a native of Latvia, will play for the World in the exhibition game on Friday, Feb. 15 to kick-start the NBA All-Star weekend.

Aron Baynes had 16 points, Marcus Morris 15, and Al Horford and Terry Rozier each had 14 for Boston, which tied a franchise record with 16 blocked shots and won for the sixth time in seven games. Horford had 11 rebounds.

The Celtics played without star guard Kyrie Irving, who was sidelined with a sore left hip.

D'Angelo Russell led the Nets with 25 points and Shabazz Napier had 20. Brooklyn had won 19 of its previous 24 games.

Surging Nets visit Boston, chasing Celtics in standings

Nets have won 19 of their last 24 games

Jan 28 | 6:28PM

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Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell hits a 3-point shot during the first half against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. (Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports)

The Brooklyn Nets were often reminded in recent seasons about how they gave up three unprotected first-round picks, plus a 2017 first-round pick swap, to Boston as part of the 2013 trade for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

The Celtics turned those picks into Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and one that was used to obtain Kyrie Irving and elevate Boston into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.

Now the Nets are moving beyond the trade and getting into playoff contention for the first time in four seasons.

Davis, who has told the Pelicans he will not sign a contract extension, is under contract through the 2019-20 season before being eligible for free agency.

"Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship," Davis' agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN while requesting the trade. "Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that's the reason for informing them of this decision now. That's in the best interests of both Anthony's and the organization's future."

Just when things were finally looking up for the Nets, the team took a major blow before doing battle against a crosstown rival.

Brooklyn PG Spencer Dinwiddie will undergo surgery on Monday to repair torn ligaments in his right thumb, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The recovery time is expected to be from three to six weeks.

Wojnarowski adds that Dinwiddie met with two specialists to evaluate the injury, and both recommended he undergo surgery. The 25-year-old previously had his thumb examined by one of the top hand specialists in the country as well, according to Fox Sports Radio's Caron Butler...

Many wondered if the Nets could play at the same level without Spencer Dinwiddie, and though Brooklyn got off to a slow start, the Nets never looked back in the 109-99 win over the crosstown rival Knicks. >> Box score

Things to know about Friday's game

1) The Nets took the season series finale against the Knicks for the first time since the 2014-15 season. Friday night was Brooklyn's eighth straight win at Barclays Center. After the win, the Nets are on a six-game winning streak.

When they last met on Dec. 8, the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks were in the opening stages of their current trajectories.

On that night, Spencer Dinwiddie constantly reached the lane and scored 25 points in Brooklyn's 112-104 win in Madison Square Garden. It was the second win in a seven-game winning streak that turned around Brooklyn's season. Meanwhile, it was a week into New York's current skid.

Heading into the final game of the season series, the Nets have a seven-game home winning streak while the visiting Knicks are on a seven-game skid and firmly entrenched as one of the league's worst teams. >> Read More

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What's better NBA free agency destination: Knicks or Nets?

New York's teams are expected to be big players -- here's how they rank in five categories

By Jarod Hector | Jan 25 | 9:00AM

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(SNY Illustration)

Yes, July 1 is still more than five months away. Hell, we haven't even hit the All-Star break yet. But it's never too early to start thinking about free agency. Here in New York City, the Mecca of Basketball (that's right), this summer is crucial for the local teams.

This year projects to have arguably the best NBA free agent class ever with players like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson all -- in one way or another -- able to hit the open market. With hundreds of other players available this offseason and a league salary cap set to rise to $109 million for the 2019-20 season, even in the dead of winter all eyes are on summer '19.

New York's teams are expected to be big players in free agency, with both the Knicks and Nets possessing ample salary cap space and the ambition to exponentially improve. But which NYC franchise has the advantage when it comes to attracting the best talent? Quintessential New York or the "Coolest City in America?" (At least according to GQ, never mind that Brooklyn is actually a borough). Do players want to restore a storied franchise or be the face of a new movement? Midtown steakhouse or Smorgasburg?

Let's take a look at some of the major factors that will either attract or deter free agents and, thus, determine the future of hoops in the Big Apple.

Jan 24 | 10:13PM

It's a battle of New York as the Nets prepare to take on their cross-town rivals in the Knicks.

The Nets and Knicks play their final game of the season series on Friday night at Barclays Center on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Brooklyn sits in sixth place in the Eastern Conference amidst a five-game winning streak. New York hovers above last place in a nose-dive that includes a seven-game losing streak. But none of that matters for Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson.

"I think it's one of those rivalries where it doesn't matter the record," Atkinson said. "The record is out the window. It's two New York teams going at it. I always say, my wish is that both of us get really, really good and this game gets more and more important as we go down the line."

Brooklyn pushed win streak to five games

Jan 23 | 10:27PM

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Nets win streak up to five games00:00:33

The Nets have won their last 11 of 12 at home with their 4-point win over the Magic on Wednesday.

NEW YORK (AP) D'Angelo Russell had a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds, Spencer Dinwiddie scored 29 points, and the Brooklyn Nets edged the Orlando Magic 114-110 on Wednesday night for their fifth straight victory.

Orlando had a chance to tie it at 112 with 3.1 seconds left in regulation, but Nikola Vucevic's basket was waved off after replay review confirmed that the Magic center had actually tipped in the ball while it was still on the rim after Evan Fournier had beaten Brooklyn's Jarrett Allen to the hoop.

Russell, who also had seven assists, hit a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to seal it for the Nets, who have won seven consecutive games at the Barclays Center. DeMarre Carroll added 19 points for Brooklyn. >> Read more

The newly-signed Rockets center ripped his former team, which bought out his contract over the weekend, accusing the Nets coaching staff and front office of "lying" to him and sending mixed messages about playing time.

Nets are 8-2 in last 10 games

Jan 21 | 6:15PM

D'Angelo Russell had 31 points and eight assists, and the surging Brooklyn Nets won their fourth straight game by running away from the Sacramento Kings in the second half Monday for a 123-94 victory.

Russell, announced as the Eastern Conference player of the week shortly before the game, made seven 3-pointers. He hit all four 3-point attempts and was 5 for 6 overall in the third quarter, fueling a 22-4 spurt that launched the Nets into the lead for good.

Joe Harris added 19 points and rookie Rodions Kurucs had 16 for the Nets, who won for the 17th time in 22 games.

Why Nets waiving Kenneth Faried may impact Carmelo Anthony

Rockets expect to sign Faried but need to open roster spot

Jan 19 | 10:18AM

Houston Rockets forward Carmelo Anthony reacts after a play during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Toyota Center. (Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports)

The Brooklyn Nets officially waived forward/center Kenneth Faried on Saturday, which may expedite the process for Carmelo Anthony to be traded.

The Houston Rockets are expected to sign Faried and insert him into the lineup immediately, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, but must open up a roster spot by 5 p.m. ET on Monday to do so.

While Anthony has not played for the Rockets since Nov. 8, he is still under contract and Houston is "aggressively working" to trade the 34-year-old forward by that deadline, according to Wojnarowski, who also added on Saturday that they do not plan to waive Anthony.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) D'Angelo Russell matched his career high with 40 points and the Brooklyn Nets came back from a 21-point deficit to beat the Orlando Magic 117-115 on Friday night.

Russell's 3-pointer with 27.1 seconds left put the Nets up for the first time since they went ahead 2-0 in the game's first minute. After missed free throws by both teams left Brooklyn with a two-point lead, Evan Fournier missed a shot in the lane that would have tied it for Orlando.

It was the 16th win in 21 games for the Nets, who made 19 of 46 3-point shots.